In a highly unusual and controversial ruling, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has ordered the Trump administration to return a deported MS-13 gang member to the United States by Monday midnight. The Salvadoran national, identified as Alexis Barrera Hernandez, was removed in 2018 after being detained for illegal entry.

Judge Xinis ruled that Hernandez was denied due process during his deportation proceedings, despite his known MS-13 ties. The decision has sparked outrage, with critics calling it a dangerous overreach of judicial power that undermines immigration enforcement and national security.

The ruling also raises serious sovereignty concerns, as it effectively demands that a foreign country comply with a U.S. court order to reverse a lawful deportation. The Justice Department is expected to appeal, arguing that federal judges lack authority to compel the return of deported criminals.

This case highlights the ongoing tension between the judiciary and the executive branch over immigration policy, with some viewing the order as an activist judicial intervention. The administration has until Monday to respond.